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STARLOST UNAUTHORIZED: And the Quest for Canadian Identity
THE GIANT EARTHSHIP ARK, DRIFTING THROUGH DEEP SPACE OVER EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS INTO THE FAR FUTURE, ITS PASSENGERS DESCENDANTS OF THE LAST SURVIVORS OF THE DEAD PLANET EARTH, LOCKED IN SEPARATE WORLDS HEADING FOR DESTRUCTION... The Starlost (1973).
The most controversial Sci Fi Television series ever made. It began with high hopes, created by Harlan Ellison with participation by such luminaries as Ben Bova and Ursula K. LeGuin, featuring special effects by 2001: A Space Odyssey's Doug Trumbull, starring 2001's Keir Dullea. Somehow it all went wrong, Harlan Ellison denounced his creation, and the series became legendary as “the worst ever!'
But was it really? Produced in Canada, constrained physically and financially, the show began to reflect Canadian issues and sensibilities, at a time when Canada and Canadians were going through a national identity crisis, forming a nation, building a culture and confronting challenges from regionalism within, to the overwhelming presence of the United States without. What was Canada? What did it and its people stand for, and where were they going?
The Starlost became a mirror of national concerns and preoccupations as the stars confronted alien and interlopers, industrialization, pollution, militarism, ethics and morality and ultimately humanity's place in the world.
This extensively researched work, written with dry humor and deep insight, draws on interviews and correspondence with stars Robin Ward and Gay Rowan, series writer Norman Klenman, and features a comprehensive episode guide with detailed reviews encompassing behind the scenes information and thematic analysis, as well as a full section on the production process and making of the show. STARLOST UNAUTHORIZED is the most comprehensive and detailed work ever produced on this unique and controversial television series.
The most controversial Sci Fi Television series ever made. It began with high hopes, created by Harlan Ellison with participation by such luminaries as Ben Bova and Ursula K. LeGuin, featuring special effects by 2001: A Space Odyssey's Doug Trumbull, starring 2001's Keir Dullea. Somehow it all went wrong, Harlan Ellison denounced his creation, and the series became legendary as “the worst ever!'
But was it really? Produced in Canada, constrained physically and financially, the show began to reflect Canadian issues and sensibilities, at a time when Canada and Canadians were going through a national identity crisis, forming a nation, building a culture and confronting challenges from regionalism within, to the overwhelming presence of the United States without. What was Canada? What did it and its people stand for, and where were they going?
The Starlost became a mirror of national concerns and preoccupations as the stars confronted alien and interlopers, industrialization, pollution, militarism, ethics and morality and ultimately humanity's place in the world.
This extensively researched work, written with dry humor and deep insight, draws on interviews and correspondence with stars Robin Ward and Gay Rowan, series writer Norman Klenman, and features a comprehensive episode guide with detailed reviews encompassing behind the scenes information and thematic analysis, as well as a full section on the production process and making of the show. STARLOST UNAUTHORIZED is the most comprehensive and detailed work ever produced on this unique and controversial television series.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 20, 2025
Given the weird political situation we have recently found ourselves in with Canada, there is no more timely read than this one. I got this book because I was a Starlost Fan as a young child in the 70s. Yes, I know it had cheap sets and it has often been bagged upon, but I liked it as a 7 year old when I would watch it with my mom, brother and sister. My husband even got me the DVD set as a joke Xmas gift two years ago. Reading this strange but interesting book made me want to go back and rewatch the entire series - particularly the episodes with Walter Koenig. Definitely worth a read if you like old sci fi, have a fondness for Canada (as I do) or are interested in some historical perspective on the peculiar state of affairs that our current US administration has thrown us all into.
December 21, 2024
The Starlost was a Canadian science fiction series that first aired in September 23, 1973 and ended with episode 16, January 5, 1974. Which immediately raises the question: Why would anyone want to read, let alone write, a book about a TV show from over fifty years ago?
D.G. Valdron is a respected critic of lesser-known SF&F media, having written the definitive three-book series on LEXX (another Canadian production) and three books on the more obscure corners of the Dr. Who universe. It was almost inevitable that his attention would turn to the strange and slightly tragic story of the making of Starlost.
As to why you should read a book about The Starlost—well, Valdron argues (convincingly) that it was an important moment in Canadian cultural history. Even if one is not old enough to have seen or remember the series, even if one is not that interested in science fiction, there are important lessons to be learned here. Understanding what happened on and to The Starlost explains much about television as a medium, about the SF genre, and about Canadian national identity. (That's not to say non-Canadians could not benefit from the book--lots here about how TV gets made, reputations, and so on.)
First, Starlost is widely regarded as the worst science fiction TV series of all time—Plan 9 From Outer Space bad. Valdron makes the case, again convincingly, that that reputation is undeserved. Well, maybe not completely undeserved. I was watching in 1973, and Starlost was not great. But even at the time, I recognized that there were some elements, some moments of genius, that belied the general condemnation.
The reason The Starlost has such a terrible reputation is largely because science fiction author Harlan Ellison wrote wincingly funny essays about it, gave hilariously critical interviews about it, and regularly denounced everyone involved with the project—except, of course, Harlan Ellison. For it was Harlan Ellison who came up with the initial idea for the series, worked on the series bible, and provided a draft of the pilot episode. Ellison’s description of what went wrong after that diverges somewhat from the historical record, and it could be argued, as Valdron does, that Ellison’s version may be a bit . . . self-serving. Valdron suggests that much of what went wrong can and should be laid at Ellison’s door. Ellison’s pre-emptive mocking of the StarLost might therefore have exaggerated its failures and dismissed its strengths, unfairly prejudicing fans.
Second, Valdron argues that Canadian TV in the 1970s relied upon producers, actors, and writers with backgrounds in live theatre, in contrast to American TV which drew personnel from the movie industry. Like the early years of Dr. Who, much of The Starlost felt like one was watching a stage play, where audiences were asked to imagine events off camera or to accept sets more implied than present. That may not have played well to American TV audiences, where ratings were noticeably lower than in Canada.
Third, ending up as a Canadian production meant The Starlost reflected Canadian themes and values that may not always have been completely aligned with those anticipated by American audiences. Valdron argues the series may not have been bad so much as different from Star Trek and American space opera. I have long argued that Canadian speculative fiction is a distinct subgenre from American mass market SF, and not always accepted by American editors and reviewers when it diverges from American tropes and sensibilities. Valdron takes a deep dive into Starlost themes and makes a compelling case that episodes were often deeply influenced by Canadian issues, ideas, and solutions. His is one of the better analyses of the struggle for Canadian identity in the 1970s and how that shaped, limited, and manifested in Canadian television.
Fourth, the things that went wrong with The Starlost were not its fault. That the episodes exist at all is a sort of miracle given tight budgets, tighter timelines, promises made and broken, and circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Reading Valdron’s account of everything that went wrong (which is pretty much everything that could go wrong), gives the reader a lot of insight into how television gets made, or doesn’t. Behind the scenes are heroic tales of herculean efforts to overcome insurmountable odds. It is exciting stuff and raises one’s appreciation of the series, of any series, to new levels.
Valdron’s analysis, then, is not just about setting the record straight—that The Starlost deserves better than its maligned reputation—but also an important record of the emergence of a Canadian cultural industry, of a Canadian identity, of a pioneering effort that still holds lessons for us today.
The book is a great, fast read. There is, admittedly, a fair bit of repetition, but that is a feature not a bug. Valdron has deliberately divided the book up into self-contained sections: the history of how the show came to be; an in-depth discussion of each episode; the implications of Canadian identity for the show, and therefore the show’s implications for Canadian identity; and a nerdy discussion of the science fiction premise, filling in the gaps in the story’s timeline. Consequently, the reader can jump in directly on whatever subtopic interests them, and ignore the rest.
In theory, that is. In practice, once you start anywhere, it is hard to stop because it is all written in Valdron’s inimitable breathless style. For example, he often repeats himself even within a section, but that comes across as spontaneous conversation. It feels very much like you sat next to some guy in the bar who randomly starts talking about some show he saw and before you know it, are drawn deeply down into that rabbit hole. It is the conversation about television, about science fiction, about Canadian culture and identity, you never knew you needed.
Recommended to Canadian readers and anyone interested in TV.
D.G. Valdron is a respected critic of lesser-known SF&F media, having written the definitive three-book series on LEXX (another Canadian production) and three books on the more obscure corners of the Dr. Who universe. It was almost inevitable that his attention would turn to the strange and slightly tragic story of the making of Starlost.
As to why you should read a book about The Starlost—well, Valdron argues (convincingly) that it was an important moment in Canadian cultural history. Even if one is not old enough to have seen or remember the series, even if one is not that interested in science fiction, there are important lessons to be learned here. Understanding what happened on and to The Starlost explains much about television as a medium, about the SF genre, and about Canadian national identity. (That's not to say non-Canadians could not benefit from the book--lots here about how TV gets made, reputations, and so on.)
First, Starlost is widely regarded as the worst science fiction TV series of all time—Plan 9 From Outer Space bad. Valdron makes the case, again convincingly, that that reputation is undeserved. Well, maybe not completely undeserved. I was watching in 1973, and Starlost was not great. But even at the time, I recognized that there were some elements, some moments of genius, that belied the general condemnation.
The reason The Starlost has such a terrible reputation is largely because science fiction author Harlan Ellison wrote wincingly funny essays about it, gave hilariously critical interviews about it, and regularly denounced everyone involved with the project—except, of course, Harlan Ellison. For it was Harlan Ellison who came up with the initial idea for the series, worked on the series bible, and provided a draft of the pilot episode. Ellison’s description of what went wrong after that diverges somewhat from the historical record, and it could be argued, as Valdron does, that Ellison’s version may be a bit . . . self-serving. Valdron suggests that much of what went wrong can and should be laid at Ellison’s door. Ellison’s pre-emptive mocking of the StarLost might therefore have exaggerated its failures and dismissed its strengths, unfairly prejudicing fans.
Second, Valdron argues that Canadian TV in the 1970s relied upon producers, actors, and writers with backgrounds in live theatre, in contrast to American TV which drew personnel from the movie industry. Like the early years of Dr. Who, much of The Starlost felt like one was watching a stage play, where audiences were asked to imagine events off camera or to accept sets more implied than present. That may not have played well to American TV audiences, where ratings were noticeably lower than in Canada.
Third, ending up as a Canadian production meant The Starlost reflected Canadian themes and values that may not always have been completely aligned with those anticipated by American audiences. Valdron argues the series may not have been bad so much as different from Star Trek and American space opera. I have long argued that Canadian speculative fiction is a distinct subgenre from American mass market SF, and not always accepted by American editors and reviewers when it diverges from American tropes and sensibilities. Valdron takes a deep dive into Starlost themes and makes a compelling case that episodes were often deeply influenced by Canadian issues, ideas, and solutions. His is one of the better analyses of the struggle for Canadian identity in the 1970s and how that shaped, limited, and manifested in Canadian television.
Fourth, the things that went wrong with The Starlost were not its fault. That the episodes exist at all is a sort of miracle given tight budgets, tighter timelines, promises made and broken, and circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Reading Valdron’s account of everything that went wrong (which is pretty much everything that could go wrong), gives the reader a lot of insight into how television gets made, or doesn’t. Behind the scenes are heroic tales of herculean efforts to overcome insurmountable odds. It is exciting stuff and raises one’s appreciation of the series, of any series, to new levels.
Valdron’s analysis, then, is not just about setting the record straight—that The Starlost deserves better than its maligned reputation—but also an important record of the emergence of a Canadian cultural industry, of a Canadian identity, of a pioneering effort that still holds lessons for us today.
The book is a great, fast read. There is, admittedly, a fair bit of repetition, but that is a feature not a bug. Valdron has deliberately divided the book up into self-contained sections: the history of how the show came to be; an in-depth discussion of each episode; the implications of Canadian identity for the show, and therefore the show’s implications for Canadian identity; and a nerdy discussion of the science fiction premise, filling in the gaps in the story’s timeline. Consequently, the reader can jump in directly on whatever subtopic interests them, and ignore the rest.
In theory, that is. In practice, once you start anywhere, it is hard to stop because it is all written in Valdron’s inimitable breathless style. For example, he often repeats himself even within a section, but that comes across as spontaneous conversation. It feels very much like you sat next to some guy in the bar who randomly starts talking about some show he saw and before you know it, are drawn deeply down into that rabbit hole. It is the conversation about television, about science fiction, about Canadian culture and identity, you never knew you needed.
Recommended to Canadian readers and anyone interested in TV.
March 24, 2025
I may be wrong but I tend to think that the handful of people who hold the softest spot in their heart for The Starlost are those who saw it when it was originally broadcast, as little kids, in those beautiful days before the Star Wars movies when science fiction on TV and in movies was far more clunkier, scrappier, and exciting, and far less by the numbers and money-driven.
I loved it as a kid but had only vague memories of it. When the DVD set came out, I got to watch it again and despite the revisionism I had heard through the decades about how horrible it was, I found it to be fun and thoughtful. It had its shortcomings to be sure, but when you compare it to so much SF television of the 1970s - Buck Rogers, Fantastic Journey, Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes, Ark II, Star Maidens, Space Academy, Jason of Star Command, and many others - it wasn't really that bad. It wasn't quite Land of the Lost standard, or up to the the level of some British offerings - Survivors, Timeslip, UFO, The Changes come to mind, plus the first season of Space: 1999 if you're being kind - but it was at least original and sincere and seemed like it really was trying despite its limitations.
My sons - 29 years old - and I decided to recently sit down and watch the whole series together and their reaction was much the same as mine. While they acknowledged that there were some definite low moments - inevitable considering the circumstances under which the series was made - it was really rather quite enjoyable and original, it had some really great concepts within it, and some of the visuals were actually quite cool despite their cheapness. They, too, became defenders of The Starlost.
It was right after this recent watch that I ran into Starlost Unauthorized. I was hungry for anything more about the show that I bought it, not expecting much, though finding the concept of Canadian identity as part of its subtext certainly intriguing. I was very surprised by the book - not just the intelligence behind the Canadian identity connection, but the actual care taken with discussing the production and the episodes. It's both candid but not cruel. Valdron understands what makes the show appealing to some of us and treats that notion with respect, but doesn't come off as a blind apologist for the aspects that don't work. He also pays a lot of attention to the details of the series that allows for real introspection to the narrative aspects that require the level of analysis that a series like this would never get under most circumstances.
To his credit, Valdron is also able to go through Harlan Ellison's self-involved rants and bring some clarity to them with the goal of shaking off the hyperbole in order to bring to light the actual circumstances - at least as much as possible - of the show's production.
If you're already a fan of The Starlost and want to know more, or are curious if the claims of it being the worst science fiction show ever are true, it's the only book around that does the job.
My one caveat is that readers should keep in mind that this is a self-published book. It could do with one more round of editing from an uninvolved eye, just to correct some grammatical errors, some repetition, and such. But that comes with the territory and it shouldn't dissuade you from picking up this unexpectedly fascinating book about an unlikely subject that deserves a lot better in the cultural memory.
I loved it as a kid but had only vague memories of it. When the DVD set came out, I got to watch it again and despite the revisionism I had heard through the decades about how horrible it was, I found it to be fun and thoughtful. It had its shortcomings to be sure, but when you compare it to so much SF television of the 1970s - Buck Rogers, Fantastic Journey, Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes, Ark II, Star Maidens, Space Academy, Jason of Star Command, and many others - it wasn't really that bad. It wasn't quite Land of the Lost standard, or up to the the level of some British offerings - Survivors, Timeslip, UFO, The Changes come to mind, plus the first season of Space: 1999 if you're being kind - but it was at least original and sincere and seemed like it really was trying despite its limitations.
My sons - 29 years old - and I decided to recently sit down and watch the whole series together and their reaction was much the same as mine. While they acknowledged that there were some definite low moments - inevitable considering the circumstances under which the series was made - it was really rather quite enjoyable and original, it had some really great concepts within it, and some of the visuals were actually quite cool despite their cheapness. They, too, became defenders of The Starlost.
It was right after this recent watch that I ran into Starlost Unauthorized. I was hungry for anything more about the show that I bought it, not expecting much, though finding the concept of Canadian identity as part of its subtext certainly intriguing. I was very surprised by the book - not just the intelligence behind the Canadian identity connection, but the actual care taken with discussing the production and the episodes. It's both candid but not cruel. Valdron understands what makes the show appealing to some of us and treats that notion with respect, but doesn't come off as a blind apologist for the aspects that don't work. He also pays a lot of attention to the details of the series that allows for real introspection to the narrative aspects that require the level of analysis that a series like this would never get under most circumstances.
To his credit, Valdron is also able to go through Harlan Ellison's self-involved rants and bring some clarity to them with the goal of shaking off the hyperbole in order to bring to light the actual circumstances - at least as much as possible - of the show's production.
If you're already a fan of The Starlost and want to know more, or are curious if the claims of it being the worst science fiction show ever are true, it's the only book around that does the job.
My one caveat is that readers should keep in mind that this is a self-published book. It could do with one more round of editing from an uninvolved eye, just to correct some grammatical errors, some repetition, and such. But that comes with the territory and it shouldn't dissuade you from picking up this unexpectedly fascinating book about an unlikely subject that deserves a lot better in the cultural memory.
October 6, 2025
Good retrospective of a largely forgotten sci-fi series developed and shot in Canada. The sets, costumes, and scripts were overly ambitious for the budget and people available to make the episodes, and that showed along with the care and thoughtfulness put in. I was surprised be how the Canadian viewpoints snuck into the themes of some episodes, as well the attitude of the series over all. Fun read over all
August 12, 2025
Fun look at the context and production of the show.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews